1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door open-close device disposed at an insertion opening of an apparatus for inserting an object such as a record medium.
2. Prior Art
Generally, a record medium reproduction apparatus has an insertion opening for receiving or removing such record medium. The insertion opening has a door closing for preventing dust and contaminants from entering the apparatus which is not in use.
First, a door open-close device will be discussed with describing a double hinged door which opens in the inserting and ejecting directions of an object received in an apparatus casing. Referring to FIG. 4A, the constitution of the door open-close device will be explained. The device has a door 5 mounted on an insertion opening 4 defined in a front panel 3 of the apparatus casing. The door 5 has a pivot shaft 7 received in a bearing portion 6 to turnably support the shaft 7. The door 5 having the turning shaft 7 can open in the inserting and ejecting directions of the object.
Next, referring to FIG. 5, the door 5 for opening and closing the insertion opening 4 will be discussed in detail. The door 5 is generally rectangular and has a size enough for entirely closing the insertion opening 4. The shaft 7 is extending externally from each lateral upper side of the door 5 for pivoting the door 5 to open the insertion opening 4. In addition, the door 5 is biased by a resilient mean like spring (not shown) at the closed position.
The above-described constitution causes the door 5 to normally close the opening 4, preventing dust or the like from entering a casing 2 of the apparatus. Meanwhile, the door 5 turns to open the opening 4 with insertion or ejection of a record medium 1.
Next, referring to FIG. 4B, the opening operation of the door 5 with insertion or ejection of the record medium 1 will be discussed. The insertion of the record medium 1 forces the door 5 to initially turn around the shaft 7 to open the door 5. A further insertion of the record medium 1 makes the door 5 continue turning in the insertion side until the door turns by about 90xc2x0 to completely open the opening 4. Thereby, the record medium 1 can pass through the opening 4 to move into the apparatus casing 2. In this state, the completely opened door 5 is extending by the width L of the door 5 in the medium insertion direction, since the door 5 turns around the shaft 7.
Next, referring to FIG. 4C, the opening operation of the door 5 with ejecting of the record medium 1 will be discussed. The door 5 operates basically in the same way as when the record medium 1 is inserted. However, the door 5 turns opposite to the direction of the insertion time since the door is opened by the record medium 1 moving in the ejecting direction. Thus, the completely opened door is extending by the width L of the door 5 in the ejecting direction from the shaft 7.
Such double hinged constitution allows the door 5 to open by utilizing the force due to the movement of the record medium during the insertion or ejection thereof. This requires no additional power device, providing a door open and close simplified structure and reducing an electrical power consumption.
Nevertheless, the above-described door device requires a door receiving space extending at least twice of the width L of the door 5, since the double hinged door 5 must extend by the width L both in the inserting direction and in the ejection direction from the shaft 7. Thus, the front panel 3 having the door 5 requires such lengthened receiving space, increasing the dimension of the casing in the insertion direction. This dimension increase is disadvantageous for an apparatus that is required to have a smaller depth so that the apparatus may be easily installed in a limited space.
Furthermore, the door 5 must be positioned in the opening 4 with a distance from the front panel 3, since there is the door receiving space required for opening the door 5 with the insertion and ejection of the record medium. Thereby, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the record medium 1 may disadvantageously abut against the shaft 7 so that the door is not smoothly opened, when the record medium is inserted in a diagonal direction.
To solve the problem, the present invention provides a door open-close device for opening and closing an insertion opening defined in an apparatus casing to receive an object. The door is pivotally supported by the apparatus casing and the device has a door pivot that travels during the opening or closing motion of the door.
Such constitution decreases the extended distance of the door when the door is opened by traveling the pivot shaft opposite to the door opening side with the door opening operation.